What is an example of a brick workout during the race season?

As the season progress and you enter your preparation phase of training (about 2-4 months out from the start of your racing season), pick up your intensity during your BRICK sessions. The goal of a more intense session, race preparation BRICK training, is to mimic your race intensity or even a little faster. An example of these sessions may be mini triathlons about 10-20 minutes in length with plenty of recovery; 200 m/yard swim at race pace intensity/ 10 minute Steady State bike/ 5 minute run at Tempo pace. The entire training session may last about 3-4 hours starting with a 30 min swimming workout focusing on open water swim technique, 2-4 x 10-20 high intensity BRICK intervals with 5-10 min full recovery, finishing with an easy 30 minute ride to cool down. These BRICK workouts are a great way to incorporate very specific race day intensity, transition, and fatigue for sprint distance to half ironman; however you will need extra recovery the following 3-4 days after a training session such as this. Race Preparation BRICK Training (3 hour total workout time):30 min open water technique swims, catch-up drills, sighting, and high elbows underwater. Perform 2-4 intervals: 200 m/yard swim (open water swim is ideal) at race pace. Transition to 10 min steady state power at 85-95 rpm. End with a 5 min Tempo run. Incorporate a 10 min full recovery. Finish with a 30 min recovery ride to cool down.

What kind of Brick you do depends on what phase of training you’re in, and what race you are preparing for.

For example, here is a Brick my intermediate-level triathletes do in the second week of a 10-week for a Sprint triathlon:

Bike 45 minutes, negative split – first half Zone 2, second half Zone 3-4
Transition to run in 5 minutes or less.
Run 15 minutes, negative split – first half Zone 2, second half Zone 3-4

Zone 2 is aerobic zone - you notice breathing deeper,  but it is still comfortable.  You can carry on a conversations

Zone 3 is working harder - you’re aware of breathing harder; it’s more difficult to hold a conversation.

Zone 4 is lactate threshold area - you’re starting to breathe hard and it’s getting uncomfortable.

It’s important to transition from the bike to the run in about 5 minutes or less.  It you take longer, you lose some or all of the benefit of doing the brick.